Books Honored by the National Book Foundation

National Book Award Medals

The mission of the National Book Foundation is to celebrate the best of American literature, to expand its audience, and to enhance the cultural value of great writing in America. National Book Awards are given five categories: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Translated Literature, and Young People’s Literature.

Here we highlight the winners of African descent. The first African-American writer to win a National Book Award was Ralph Ellison, in 1953, for Invisible Man.

Check Out AALBC’s Coverage of the National Book Awards:  20172016201520142013


3 Books Honored by the National Book Foundation in 2003

Finalist - Fiction

The Known World
by Edward P. Jones

Publication Date: Aug 29, 2006
List Price: $16.99
Format: Paperback, 432 pages
Classification: Fiction
ISBN13: 9780061159176
Imprint: Amistad
Publisher: HarperCollins
Parent Company: News Corp

Read Our Review of The Known World


Read a Description of The Known World


Finalist - Poetry

Jelly Roll: A Blues
by Kevin Young

    Publication Date: Jan 14, 2003
    List Price: $23.00
    Format: Hardcover, 208 pages
    Classification: Poetry
    ISBN13: 9780375414602
    Imprint: Knopf
    Publisher: Penguin Random House
    Parent Company: Bertelsmann

    Read Our Review of Jelly Roll: A Blues


    Read a Description of Jelly Roll: A Blues


    Finalist - Young People’s Literature

    Locomotion
    by Jacqueline Woodson

    Publication Date: Jan 07, 2010
    List Price: $7.99
    Format: Paperback, 144 pages
    Classification: Nonfiction
    Target Age Group: Middle Grade
    ISBN13: 9780142415528
    Imprint: Speak
    Publisher: Penguin Random House
    Parent Company: Bertelsmann

    Read a Description of Locomotion